Steephead Parrotfish,
Chlorurus microrhinos(Bleeker 1854)

More Info

Distribution

Rottnest Island to northern Western Australia including offshore reefs, Ashmore Reef, Timor Sea, and the northern Great Barrier Reef to Sydney, New South Wales; also Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean, reefs in the Coral Sea, and the Lord Howe Island region in the Tasman Sea. Elsewhere the species is widespread in the east-Indo-west-central Pacific. Occurs in habitats ranging from inshore reefs to exposed outer reefs, forming schools of up to 40 individuals on reef fronts and reef crests.This species is the most abundant large parrotfish in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and in Western Australian marine parks.

Feeding

Herbivore - feeds on algae obtained by crunching coral from the reef.

Biology

A fast growing species, attaining a maximum age of 15 years.

Fisheries

This large parrotfish is targeted for food in much of its range, and is heavily fished in some areas.

Remarks

In a recent study of steephead parrotfish on the Great Barrier Reef, tagged individuals had their internal temperatures monitored for a 24 h period using active acoustic telemetry. At night, on the reef, C. microrhinos were found to maintain a consistent average peritoneal cavity temperature 0.16 +/- 0.005°C (SE) warmer than the ambient temperature of the surrounding water (Welsh et al. 2012).